Meaning & use

dehumanization

noun·Advanced

The process of depriving a person or group of positive human qualities, often to justify mistreating them.

See it in a sentence

Wartime propaganda often relies on the dehumanization of the enemy to make violence seem acceptable.

Sociologists study how dehumanization in prisons can lead guards to abuse inmates.

A note on using this word

Dehumanization means treating people as less than fully human, a concept frequently discussed in the context of war, slavery, or discrimination.

Words with a similar meaning

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